Bicycle coaster-brake.



PATENTED H1524, 1903. 1. W. H. MOGOBMIGK am. D. MAUPHAIL.

BICYCLE CAS'TER BRAKE'.

W/TNESSES .f

RogrtllMacphall,

cu, pHoro-urac wAsnwsn.

UNITED.- STATES PATENT OEEIGE.

WILLIAM H- MCCORMIOK, or NEW wEs'rMINsTER, AND RoBERT D. MAC- PHAIL, onvvANooUvER, CANADA. f

BloYoLE YooAsTER-Bmoua.

.stEcIFIoAsIoN forming part of 'Letters Pate-m1510922, 1,5923, aat-.edFebruary 24, 190s.

application led vAugust 14, 1

To a/ZZ whom it mag/concern;-

ne it known that we, WILLIAM H. Mecca-lf- MIGK, a citizen ol"theDominion of-l Ca nada,zf

residing at New Westminste'r,"and ROBERT D. MAoPHA-IL, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Vancouver, in the Province of BritishColumbia., Canada, have invented anew and useful BicycleCoaster-Brakeofwhich the following is a specification.

vOur invention relates to an impro'ved free wheel and brake-gear forbicycles of'that class Vwherein the clntch-and-brake mechanism issituated Within the hub-casing of the driying-wheel and is operated fromthe crankpedals. Y

'lhe device and its means of operation are fully described in thefollowing specification and illustrated in the drawings which yaccompanyit.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section; Fig. 2, a cross-section on the linea o, in Fig. 1; and

` Fig. 3, a detail of the driving-sleeve, showing Y threads 5, formingvirtually spiral drivingthe clutch-screw or spiral feathers.

In the drawings, f represents the frame of the machine, and 2 the axleof the drivingwheel, which is secured to the, frame in the usual mannerand carrie'sthe cones 3 ofn the ball-bearings on which ajsleeve 5 isrotatable. f

The cups 4 of the bearings are secured to this sleeve, and to one endvof it isk fastened the sprocket 6 of the `driving-gear or if applied toa chainless wheel to the bevel-pinion. I

On the driving-sleeve 5 the hub 8 of the wheel is free to run onsuitable ball-bearings, and on the opposite side of the wheel to thedrive-gear 6 the driving-sleeve 5 is provided with a series ofright-hand/fquick-pitch screwfeathers to engage and rotatethe clutch 11,

slidable thereon. This clutch has ,on one side a conical seat 11,adapted to ente'rja'hd engage a corresponding recessSa of the wheelhub,by which-construction the driving-sleeve when rotated in a direction todrive the wheel forward forces the cone. of the clutch by means of thespiral feathers into`close driving contact with the wheel-'hub 8, andthey are rotatedv together.` The heavier the drive the tighter the gripoffthe clutch, as the inoline of the .feathers draws the clutch tightagainst the hub.

VThe spiral feathers further 'enable the Vclutch to free itself at oncefrom contact with thehub if .theidriving-sleeve 5 is' held vwhilevthe'wheel rotates, as'wh'en the feetV are stationary on the pedals forcoasting or running free. f I Under; proper working conditions theclearance'y lbetween theconed surfaces of clutch and hub will besoslight when the'wheel is running free that they will catch at once andbe drawn into close contact by thel incline of the feathers whenmovement is imparted to the driving-sleeve to propel the wheel for.ward. To guard, however; against the effect of excessive end movement`through neglect to properly take up the wear, a light coilspring may beinterposed between the cup member of the spindle-bearin g and theclutch,` by which means the clutch will be normally in light contactwith the hub. I

On the opposite slide of the clutch to vthe driving-cone llisa'reversecone 11b, adapted to enter a corresponding recessin a brakering 13,'whioh,is endwise slidable in a brakecasing 14, adj'ustably securedto-the hub 8 vby aleft-hand thread and locked at any desired position bythe lock-'ring 15,screwed Withinrthehub with a right hand thread. vThis'casing 14 has an interior brake-cone su rface 14?, into frictionalcontact with which a corresponding cone 13a of the brake-ring 13 maybeforced by kthe ybackward movement of the driving-sleeve running theclutch along the incline. of the feathers 5a, the contact pressurebetween' the surfaces ofl the brakecones being in every caseproportional to the backward eort exerted on the pedals and sleeve y5 tothe clutch 11. l

K The brake-ring 13 is reduced in diameter vand ypasses through anaperture in the brakec'asing 14 and exterior to the casing has a ringwith the object of driving the wheel forward securely clutches, by meansof the spiral transmitted through the driving-gear 6 andf f i 16attached to it, by which it is connected by'V This connection prelocfeathers, the driving-sleeve to the wheel-hub, and they run together asone on the axle 2; but when it is desired to run with a free wheel themovement of the pedals is stopped, and the Wheel-hub going forward theirmotion in relation to one another is reversed, and the clutch isimmediately backed on the incline of the feathers out of contact withthe conical recess of the hub, leaving the wheel free to turn on itsbearings on the sleeve. It must be noted that as soon as the surfaces ofclutch and hub are out of contact there can be no further eifort throughthem to rotate the clutch on the spiral feathers, and a very triflingend movement or clearance between the surfaces may therefore beprovided, thus enabling the clutch to seize at o'nce when it is desiredto drive the wheel forward again, and the forward rotation of the cranksis resumed.

When it is desired to check the wheel by brake, a slight backwardmovement of the pedals by reversing the action of the spiral featherswill run the clutch away from the hub-cone, and backing it against thebrakering 13 the cone of the latter will be forced against the interiorcone of the brake-casing 14, the pressure with which they are forcedtogether being regulated to the riders requirements by the backwardeffort exerted on the pedals.

We would draw attention to the fact that the mechanism of our device isextremely simple, both in the number of its parts and in the manner ofits operation, while the nature of the strains on the several parts issuch that they may be made both light and strong, yet be little liableto derangement or objectionable wear, the unavoidable wear of thebrake-cone being provided for in the means of adjustment in thebrake-casing 14. A further advantage in our gear is that it isapplicable to chainless machines on account of the brake-cone and itsattachment to the frame of the machine being situated on the oppositeside of the hub to the driving mechanism.

We are aware that prior to our invention bicycle coaster-brakes havebeen made having the brake-cone within or adjacent to the hub of thewheel and operated by a backward movement of the cranks. We do not,therefore, claim such features broadly; but

What we do claim as new, and desire to be protected in by LettersPatent, is-

l. In a bicycle drive mechanism as described, a fixed axle, havingconical bearings at each end, a drive-sleeve rotatably mounted upon saidaxle having engagement therewith at its ends only, a drive-sprocket atone end and a spiral feather integral with the other end of said sleeve,a wheel-hub rotatably mounted at its ends on said drive-sleeve toprovide a chamber or space between said drive-sleeve and wheel-hub, aclutch member mounted on said drive-sleeve and having engagement withthe said spiral feather, said clutch member having a conical surface onthe outside thereof, the aforesaid. hub having a conical surface on theinterior thereof, said clutch-surface adapted to tightly engage saidhub-surface when the sleeve is driven in a for Ward direction whereby tolock the sleeve and the hub 'into operative engagment with each otherfor the purposes described. i

2. A bicycle brake mechanism of the character described, comprising incombination; a fixed axle, a driving-sleeve nearly the full length ofsaid axle and extending from near one end to nearly the other endthereof, a drive-sprocket mounted on one end of said sleeve, a spiralfeather near the other end thereof, a clutch member on and in engagementwith said sleeve and feathers, and having a sliding movement thereon,said clutch member having two diameters, each of said diameters havingconical surfaces, a hub rotatably mounted on said sleeve and having aconical surface for engaging with the larger diameter of the clutch atthe forward movement of the sleeve, a brake-ring having twoconicalsurfaces of diderent diameters, aconical brake-surface mounted onsaid hub, the aforesaid clutch being adapted to engage said brake-ring,and said brake-ring adapted to engage the conical brake-surface on theforward movement of the drive-sleeve, all being arranged substantiallyas shown and for the purposes described.

3. In bicycle -brake of the character described, a fixed axle, adrive-sleeve of slightly less length than said axle, and rotatablymounted thereon, a sprocket-wheel mounted on one end of said sleeve, awheel-hub of less length than said sleeve and rotatably mounted thereon,said hub having a braking-sur- ICO face and a clutch-engaging surface, abrakering having a hinged connection to the frame of the bicycle toprevent rotation of said ring and at the same time allow longitudinalmovement of the said ring in a direction parallel with the fixed axlesand drive-hub, the said ring .being normally out of engagement with saidbraking-surface, a clutch mechanism slidably mounted on saiddrive-sleeve and adapted to alternately engage said sleevebraking-surface and said braking-ring, for the purposes described. f Intestimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WiLLIAM H. MCCORMICK. ROBERT D. MACPHAIL. Witnesses:

ROWLAND BRITTAIN, RICHARD B. WARD.

